Use of tylvalosin in the control of porcine enzootic pneumonia.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of tylvalosin (Aivlosin Water Soluble Granules, ECO Animal Health) in drinking water for control of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (M hyo) on a farm with chronic enzootic pneumonia (EP) problems and high prevalence of mycoplasma-like lesions at slaughter. DESIGN: On a 4000-sow farm in the southeast of Spain, 1500 animals of same age were randomly divided into two groups: 900 pigs in the treated group (TG) and 600 pigs in the non-treated control group (CG). TG was medicated for seven days with tylvalosin in drinking water (2.5 mg tylvalosin/kg bodyweight (BW)) at weaning (from 21st to 28th day of life) and a second treatment when moved to finisher barn (from 63rd to 70th day of life). RESULTS: In the TG, there was a significant reduction in the severity (P<0.001) and number of animals with lung lesions (P<0.001) compared with CG. TG had an increased average daily gain and decreased average number of days in finishing. TG had a lower average carcase weight, but improved homogeneity. M hyo was not detected by q-PCR in samples, taken from lungs with characteristic EP lesions in the TG (0/9), in contrast to the CG (8/9 positive). CONCLUSIONS: A strategic medication with Aivlosin at 2.5 mg tylvalosin/kg BW in drinking water for seven days at weaning and when moved to finisher barn significantly reduces mycoplasma-like lung lesions and improves productivity parameters.

Quality of 'glottal' stops in tracheoesophageal speakers.

Glottal stops are conveyed by an abrupt constriction at the level of the glottis. Tracheoesophageal (TE) speakers are known to have poor control over the new voice source (neoglottis), and this might influence the production of 'glottal' stops. This study investigated how TE speakers realized 'glottal' stops in abutting words that end and begin with the same vowel. Ten phoneticians rated seven TE speakers' attempts to convey 'glottal' stops less favourably than two laryngeal control speakers' 'glottal' stops. Acoustic analyses showed that TE speakers relied on more gradual changes, but in 25% of realizations, a constriction at the neoglottis, similar to the constriction found in normal speakers, was produced. It was concluded that control over the neoglottis might be greater than is generally assumed. It might be possible to improve TE speakers' awareness and control over the neoglottis through training, using such tools as digital high-speed imaging.

Role of noradrenaline in behavioral changes after defeat in male and female rats.

We have tested the effect of noradrenaline depletion by clonidine in agonistic behavior of intact male and gonadectomized testosterone-treated female rats. Animals were subjected to the 'resident-intruder' paradigm: in 4 consecutive daily confrontations residents defeated intruders. Clonidine-treated intruder males showed higher levels of aggression than did their saline-injected controls. In contrast, in females, in which defeat was also followed by reduction of aggression, no effect of clonidine treatment was found.